


Fractured Reality

by preciousmikan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Blood, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strained Friendships, Strained Relationships, Strangulation, Temporary Character Death, Virtual Reality, a lot of blood, and sex, destroyed relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 05:45:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1001708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousmikan/pseuds/preciousmikan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a dystopian future where the Titans were destroyed long ago, a virtual reality game is created to mimic life when the titans lived. But when the game malfunctions, and they're all pulled into the now very real, and very dangerous game, who will be the last to die?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fractured Reality

**Author's Note:**

> follow marcoslefthalf.tumblr.com OR fracturedrealityau.tumblr.com for update announcements and submit your questions or concerns!! announcements will be submitted to both blogs. i will be tracking the tag fracturedreality.
> 
> ah! i finally got around to writing this thing which will be a rather, long, LONG fanfiction. i originally intended for it to only go on to 15 chapters but? in my journal its up towards the 30's. yeah, it's rather long if i say so myself. gotta properly have development and relationships, man. there will be holes that will be filled in with filler chapters. those filler chapters though will usually just be little tidbits of a story thats not important to it all, like say two characters went on a date while in the game you know like that. okay on with the chapter.

"Come on guys, I'm bored of this," Eren said nonchalantly, kicking an old can away. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking towards his friends. "Armin recently got that new Titan game everyone's been talking about and I want to check it out. You in?" Looking back, he saw Mikasa leaning against the fence, not really interested in the game they were playing. "Mikasa, you in?" 

 

The sun was just starting to set, the brownish-orange pollution clogged sky darkening. No one was out this late, it was stupid to be out so late even if it was barely sundown. Once the sun went down, there was no light. The moon hadn't come up in generations, no one alive knew if it was actually fact or fabled. Eren looked up towards the sky, the smog too thick to see the stars that would soon show. When he was younger, he always looked forward to seeing the stars, making shapes and animals from their formations. These days, all you saw was darkness, a sort of hazy fogginess that stayed even after the sun went down. 

 

A loud kick snapped Eren out of his reverie, seeing all of his friends standing in front of him, waiting. They were coming to Armin's house, it was clear. Mikasa passed by him, her hand leaving his shoulder just as soon as it came. After a moment, the group started towards his house, leaving Eren behind. He ran to catch up with him, laughing as he snaked his way between Mikasa and Jean, slinging an arm over her shoulders. 

 

"I knew you guys would come," Mikasa was dead center of the group, and Eren had to look on either side to see them all. Sasha and Connie were on the verge of chasing each other down the street; Marco and Jean were in their own conversation; Reiner and Bertolt and Annie off in a group by themselves as always; and he wasn't quite sure why Krista and Ymir were even there in the first place, but they were and it seemed Ymir was trying to flirt with Krista. "I hope Armin has enough space for all of us!" He laughed again, turning down the street to Armin's house. 

 

"Eren, have you seen his house in the past 15 years he's lived in it? There's space to spare. Everyone knows he's got the biggest house in the city," Jean said, rubbing his temple. "Besides, there's only what, eleven of us?" Eren rolled his eyes, pushing his worries aside. 

 

"My question would be does he have enough game patches for all of us? They don't come cheap." Sasha suddenly cut in, her and Connie walking backward ahead of the group. "Me and Connie have our own, but what about the rest of you?" She asked, looking back to make sure she won't run into anything. 

 

"I left mine at his house last time we played a virtual game." Annie suddenly spoke up, Reiner and Bertolt nodding in agreement with what she said. She went back to being stoic as ever. 

 

Eren sighed, he hated having to use one of Armin's game patches. He felt as if he was using him, but wasn't the case. "Even if he doesn't have patches, he still has the old helmets. Gaudy as they may be, they work at least." 

 

Mikasa spoke up, pushing Eren's arm off her shoulders. "He has more than enough for all of us. Have you all forgotten his father was the one who made them in the first place?" They neared his house, a single light from Armin's room shone onto the cracked pavement. It was nearly nightfall, judging by how little they could see. 

 

"Yeah guys, I have enough." Armins voice filled their ears from his window, making the group stop. Sasha and Connie weren't paying attention, causing them to topple over on trash cans. "Hurry up, it's getting cold out and the game is amazing!" 

 

They all piled into Armin's warm house, not realizing how cold it had gotten since the sun went down. He was downstairs already, a handful of game patches in his hand. They each took one as they passed, moving their hair in a way where they could stick the game patches onto their temples. Eren noted Armin's was already on, looking as if it.. Had moulded to his skin? His game patch itched a lot, but Eren thought nothing of it. 

 

"It feels as if you were actually there in the Titan days, using the maneuver gear and swords!" Armin said excitedly, leading them all into the virtual reality room as he liked to call it. He stayed by the door, hand hovering over the button that activated the game patches. "You guys ready to enter the Selection?" At the few nods and noises of agreement, Armin pressed the button, the room suddenly turning to the Selection. 

 

The Selection was a strange place. Millions of people around the world were in the limbo between reality and whichever game they were to choose. Some preferred to stick around the Selection, it's whiteness and multitude of game screens in a way comforting them. A door formed where they enter, only accessable to those who had come in through it. Last names usually showed up in the middle, letting the players know which door was whos. There was no sound in the Selection, even if someone talked. Their game patches glowed green, at least until they chose a game. 

 

Armin nudged Eren, pointing towards the game enter square. Catching the other's attention, he followed Armin to the game labeled " **TITAN: THE GAME.** " The blond walked in first, disappearing. Short after, Eren, Mikasa and Jean followed suit, watching as the rest came through the game square. Once all were in, they tapped their game patches, their entire outfit changing to fit the game, mimicking the uniform worn by the people who faught the titans for real. A mental life meter formed in all of their minds, showing how much life they had before being transported back into the Selection. 

 

They were in Shiganshina, the first level of the game, and the most historic city. The wall was fully intact, letting Armin know he had little time to explain how it works. 

 

"Unlike other virtual reality games, you can't mentally move your transportation and win. The game makers made it exactly how it was in 845. You try and maneuver yourself with the gear, and try and kill as many titans as you can before the next wall is breached. Once it's breached, that begins the next level. The game doesn't end until you defeat all the titans." Armin quickly explained, looking towards the wall. Steam was rising behind it, signaling the colossal titan's debut. "From here on out, you can choose to be on your own, or work together. If you get eaten, it's an automatic game over for you. If you loose a limb, you won't regenerate it back." The colossal titan peeked it's skinless head over the wall as the group tried to figure out how to use the maneuver gear. 

 

The game patches were pre-equipped with the software to recieve the information how to use their gear, unbeknownst to everyone except Armin. Eren looked up at Armin tapping on his game patch, before zipping away. He looked inside his mental game patch, searching for the information. Once he found it, the others caught on, disappearing not long after they knew. 

 

Eren and Mikasa were by themselves, flying through the streets in silence. Sasha's laughter filled their ears as she passed them, Connie following in suit. Eren watched as they somehow easily managed to cut at the titan's neck, yelling in victory as the titan blood dissolved from their clothing. Jean and Marco flew above them, going to the neighboring street. For a moment Eren stared at them, taking in how they moved. 

 

"Eren, watch out!" Mikasa cried as a titan came running towards him. He didn't have time to react before Mikasa zipped behind the titan, cutting the neck and killing it quickly. She looked scared for him. 

 

He wasn't sure how long they were all killing titans before they joined all together on a rooftop. Eren looked around at all the titans, eating the ingame humans as if they were candy. Was this really how it was back then? Did they live in constant fear that they might get eaten? He couldn't imagine this life, shitty as his real life was. Screams and the sound of ripping flesh filled their ears, making Sasha cringe. 

 

"How could the people who lived in this time live like this..? In so much fear?" Sasha said, reaching up, ready to take her game patch off. The adrenaline she had before wore off, fear replacing it. "This is inhumane.. This is terrible!" 

 

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Sasha. It's just a game. If you die, you'll just return to the Selection, no pain, no light at the end of the tunnel." Jean said, rolling his eyes. 

 

"Jean's right. There's nothing to be afraid of." Annie muttered, her expression never changing. She looked at Sasha from the corner of her eye, a secret pleasure of seing her squirm caused her to smirk. 

 

"I'm tired of this game, I want to go back to Armin's house and wait for you all to return!" She said, hand already on her game patch.  She started to pull off a corner before Eren grabbed her wrist. 

 

"Don't you remember the rules of virtual reality?! If one of us takes our game patch off before going through the game square we came in through, the entrance will close and we won't be able to get back!" He angrily shouted, before suddenly feeling dizzy. Apparently, the other's felt dizzy as well because they simultaneously were off balance, holding onto each other for support. 

 

A rippling pain shot through their heads, game patches turning all sorts of colors. Reiner and Bertolt grunted in pain, sitting on the rooftop. Eren opened an eye, just in time to see a glitch. Panic spread through him, trudging towards Armin. 

 

"Armin, I think we-" He paused, feeling another surge of pain in his head. "We need to get back to the game square. I think the game is gli-" 

 

**ERROR, SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. SYSTEM MALLLLFUNCTION. ERROR. EVAAACUATE AT ONCE.**

 

A bright green text flooded their minds, Eren's suspicion coming true. They didn't have a chance to move before searing hot pain from the game patches spread. 

 

**ERROR, GAME PATCH OVERLOAD. NOW SEQUENCING GAME PATCH SHUT DOWN.**

**  
**Sasha yelled in pain, Jean, Marco, Reiner and Annie were desperately trying to tear off the game patch that had now moulded to their skin. Ymir was too busy trying to help Krista take her's off to worry about her own, the others were frozen in fear. If they couldn't take their game patches off, would they be able to get through the game square?

 

Eren frowned and stared at the others. The sun was still high in the sky, illuminating everything. He could hear the titans over his friends' commotion, loudly tearing through buildings. He sighed heavily, a look of detirmination on his face. 

 

"We need to find the game square, if it's still loaded!" He yelled, taking postition to take off. 

 

Ymir and Krista were the first to take off, speeding off towards where they entered. The others followed suit, catching up to the first two. As they were zipping past buildings, Eren's mind wandered back to the real world. 

 

He wondered if whenever the sun set, if it ever did, the moon would rise. Would the stars shine clearly, with no smog to cover their luster? He thought back to busy days, hearing the constant blaring of car horns. The factory that was in their town jutted out large clouds of smoke once every hour, worsening their air. It was never this sunny and bright back home, Eren noted. It was strangely nice. He wondered if it snowed there, and if it was clean snow. 

 

"..Won't open!" Jean's voice cut through his thoughts, were they already there? "We can't get through! Say, Annie, how did you take your game patch off?" 

 

"I didn't." She simply stated, not looking at him. 

 

"It's not there anymore!" Jean looked around, a horrified no one had theirs anymore. He reached up and felt around both temples frantically, clawing at them. 

 

"...If the patches are gone are we..?" Connie couldn't finish the sentence. Armin spoke up, pacing. 

 

"We may be stuck here, if we can't get through the game square and our patches have disappeared. I don't think any of us have our life meters anymore..."He stopped, and picked up a sharp rock from the ground. Holding his hand out, he dug into his hand, dropping the stone soon after. "We've become real. We're apart of the game. All the dangers the in-game humans had, apply to us. Once we die, we won't go back to the Selection. We'll die for real." 


End file.
